Printing-telegraph system.



No. 779,524. PATENTED JAN.10, 1905. J. BURRY. PRINTING TELEGRAPH SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1904.

73 Invenior UNITED STATES Patented January 10, 1905.

JOHN BURRY, OF RIDGEFIELD PARK, NEW JERSEY.

PRINTING-TELEGRAPH SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,524, dated January 10, 1905; Application filed April 9, 1904. Serial N0v 202,336.

To all whom it Huey concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN BURRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ridgefield Park, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Telegraph Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming apart of the same.

The invention which forms the subject of my present application for patent is an improvement in printing telegraph systems, more particularly that described and illustrated in a patent granted to me on April 5, 1898, N 0. 601,7 68, but generally applicable to other systems where similar conditions obtain. For more readily conveying an understanding of the nature and purpose of my present improvement, however, I will briefly describe the system of my patent referred to. 7

Regarding such system as typical of those in which a rapid succession of electrical impulses of alternately opposite direction are transmitted over a line and utilized for operating a polarized relay or magnet, and thereby rotating a type-wheel or in general bringing the proper type to the printing position, it is evident that the conditions of rapid working of the receiving instruments require a lively line that is to say, one which is rapidly cleared after each impulse in order that each succeeding impulse may be effective in advancing the type-wheel or its equivalent one step. For this purpose the usual provisions are made for maintaining under normal conditions of operation (by which I mean the bringing of different characters successively intoalinement with the printing-point) a lively line; but as it is frequently necessary to repeat a letter or character one or more times and as the time which would be required to bring a given character to the printing position by a complete revolution of the type-wheel after it had been printed from once would greatly retard the operation of the system I have in the patent under consideration made special provision for repeating any character, or, in other Words, causing such character to be printed successively any number of times without shifting the type-Wheel and by simply depressing a repeat-key. This operation is effected in the following manner: Normally by the proper adjustment of the resistance, capacity, and self-induction of the circuit the line is so attuned that the discharge following one impulse coincides with and assists the succeeding transmitted rythmical impulse in advancing the type-wheel or efliecting the operation of printing and the feed of the paper, and, in fact, owing to the sensitiveness of the polarized magnets of the receiving instruments this kick or discharge would be of itself capable of imparting a movement to the armature. From this it would result that after a letter or character type has been once printed from by the final impulse which brought it into position it could not be repeated by a succeeding impulse in the same direction transmitted over a lively line, as the discharge from the final impulse which effected the printing would 0perate to advance the type-wheel and present another character before such succeeding impulse would be able to exert its effect. To prevent this, I employ a repeat-key the depression of which operates to change the electrical conditions of the line by providing a ground for the discharge through a non-inductive resistance, whereby the discharge will be retarded, so that the armature or armatures of the receiving instruments will retain the bias imparted by the final or printing impulse and the type-wheels will remain stationary or in position to reprint the character at the printing position when a second impulse of the same direction as the last is transmitted. As it will be necessary to describe the details of this mechanism in connection with the present improvement, I omit such description for the present; but I may observe that the operation of repeating a character involves, first, the closing of the ground-circuit through the non-inductive resistance, and, second, the momentary breaking of the battery-current to line in order to enable the armatures of the printing-magnets of the receivers to be retracted so as to be in position to reprint the desired character and effect the necessary feed of the paper.

By means of a system thus organized anumber of receivers may be operated from a sin- TOC gle transmitter; but as considerable energy is required for the operation of each it is evident that the number of instruments that may be directly connected with the line is limited. By interposing relays, however, between the line and an instrument or between the main and a local line including a number of instruments the capabilities of the system could be greatly extended, and this in many ways. For example, on a local line in New York a comparatively large number of instruments might be operated by a single transmitter, while the same line might be extended to Philadelphia to operate a controlling-relay for a local circuit there, and thus avoid the expense and loss of time which would otherwise be involved in transmitting the news or reports from New York to Philadelphia by Morse and then distributing by a local transmitter. This difficulty I have overcome by associating with the local circuit the same mechanism as that employed with the repeatkey of the transmitter, but substitute for the key itself a vibrating armature operated by a magnet in the main circuit. The magnet in the local circuit controlled by said armature is made sufficiently sluggish to require a prolonged break of the main circuit in order to attract the armature that grounds the local circuit through the non-inductive resistance. Hence it is only when the repeat-key of the transmitter interrupts the main line that the repeat-magnet of the local circuit performs the same function. In this combination of the controlled repeatmagnet in a local circuit with the system of my present patent or its equivalent my present invention resides. I shall now by reference to the accompanying diagram explain in detail the nature of the said improvement.

The drawing represents diagrammatically so much of a complete system as is necessary to an understanding of the invention. The details of the transmitter and of the receivers are omitted, as these form no part of the improvement and may be of any proper construction adapted to carrying out the principle. In practicing my invention, however, I prefer to employ instruments of my own design and which I have described in Patents No. 541,149, ofJune18, 1895, and No. 581,411, of April 27, 1897.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a main line which may contain any suitable.

number of receivers 2 2. The apparatus illustrated at the left constitutes a portion of the transmitter for the main line, while that on the right is a part of the transmitter for a local circuit at any point, whether near to or remote from the main transmitter.

The currents for operating the line instruments are derived from a suitable source of electric energy, conventionally represented as a divided battery 3 4:, one pole-of each portion being grounded and the other connected to one of the two contacts of a double or polarized magnet or other instrument capable of oscillating a contact-tongue 5, so as to send impulses of alternately opposite direction to line. These impulses, as will be understood, are controlled by the keys of a transmitter and operate to turn the type-wheels of the receivers or otherwise bring the desired characters into the proper position for printing. The impulses pass to line from the tongue 5 by a wire 6 to an armature 7, which is provided with a retractile spring, but which is normally held in engagement with a contactspring 8 by the action of an electromagnet 9 in a local circuit 10. From the spring 8 the circuit continues to line by a wire 11.

The line is grounded through a variable resistance 12 and a condenser 13, by means of which its electrical properties are adjusted so as to maintain it in the proper condition of liveliness, as I have more fully explained in my Patent No. 601,768, above referred to.

Associated with the contact-spring 8 is a stop 1 from which leads a wire 15 through an adjustable non-inductive resistance 16 to ground.

It is sufficient to say in explanation of the elements above described that when any given character hasbeen printed which it is desired to repeat the repeat-key 17 is immediately depressed so as to break the local circuit 10. This permits the armature 7 to fall back, with the result that spring 8 is brought in contact with the stop 14, thus grounding the line through the non-inductive resistance 16, and this is immediately followed by the separation of the contact-stop on armature 7 from the spring 8, which disconnects the battery from the line. When the key 17 is released, an impulse of current in the same direction as that last preceding it is sent over the line to operate the printing-magnets. It is evident that the same character may in this way be repeated as often as desired.

Passing now to the local circuit, which is represented by 18, the main line is grounded through a polarized relay 19, which is shown as composed of four magnet-cores, two of which, as 20 21, are permanently magnetized by a small local battery 22. The tongue of this relay vibrates between stops 23 2a, and thus transmits to the local circuit impulses of current whose direction is determined by the direction of the currents passing through the coils 25 26 of the relay.

The arrangement of the local circuit is identical with that of the mainthat is to say, the path from the tongue 27 is to a stop 28, normally in contact with a spring 29 and through this latter to the local line. The local line is also grounded through an adjustable resistance 30 and condenser 31. I

The spring 29 is held in engagement with the stop 28 by its own resiliency, but is withdrawn therefrom by an armature-lever 32, op-

erated by amagn et 33 and connected to ground through a non-inductive resistance 34.

The magnet 33 is in a local circuit containing a battery 35 and is made sluggish, so as only to be energized sufliciently to attract its armature 32 by a current of appreciable duration. The operation of this magnet is controlled by an armature-lever 36, which faces a magnet. 37 in the main line.

So long as current is flowing over the main line or so long as the impulses of current over such line succeed each other with the rapidity common to normal operation the armature 36 is held away from its stop or vibrates to and from the same with such rapidity as to prevent the operation of the magnet 33; but when the repeat-key 17 is depressed an interruption of flow of current to the main line is effected of such duration that the armature 36 falls back upon its stop, and the magnet 33 is then energized. The first result of this operation is to bring the armature 32 into contact with the spring 29, thus grounding the local line through the non-inductive resistance. The next is to Withdraw the spring 29 from the stop 28, thus disconnecting the local battery 37 38. In consequence of this the characters at the printing positions in the 10- cal receivers will be reprinted when by the raising of the key 17 the attraction of the armature 36 and the return of the spring 29 a second impulse from the battery 37 38 0f the same direction is caused to flow into the local circuit.

From the above it will be seen that the operation of the repeating apparatus in the local circuit follows exactly that of the main transmitter, so that by the use of a single transmitter and repeat-key the receivers on a large number of local circuits may be controlled.

As I have previously stated, my invention is not limited to specific devices nor to the particular system of my patents, but is applicable Wherever the conditions of operation permit and in any forms which will accomplish the desired result in substantially the manner herein described.

hat I claim is- 1. In a printing-telegraph system the combination with a main line, of a local circuit,

a polarized relay for controlling the impulses of current therein, a repeating mechanism and a magnet responsive only to prolonged interruptions of current in the main line for operating the same, as set forth.

2. In a printing-telegraph system, the combination with a main line, a transmitter in the same and a repeating mechanism adapted to ground the line through a non-inductive resistance and at the same time interrupt the flow of battery-current to line to release the armatures of the printing-magnets, of a local circuit, a polarized relay for controlling the impulses of current therein, a repeating mechanism similar to that of the main circuit-transmitter and a magnet responsive only to the prolonged interruptions of current in the main line due to the operation of the repeat-key, for operating the local-line repeating mechanism, as set forth.

3. In a printing-telegraph system, the combination with a main line, of a local circuit, a polarized relay for controlling the impulses of current therein, a repeating mechanism, a magnet for operating the same, a local circuit including said magnet, and a circuit-controller therein operated by a magnet in the main line, the repeating-magnet being responsive only to prolonged impulses of current in its circuit due to corresponding interruptions in the flow of current in the main line, substantially as set forth.

4. In a printingtelegraph system, the combination with a main line normally adjusted for a rapid rate of discharge, means for transmitting and printing characters and for repeating any given character by transforming the condition of the line to one of slow discharge and interrupting the flow of current to release the armatures of the printing-magnets, of a local circuit. a polarized relay for controlling the impulses of current therein, a repeating mechanism, similar to that in the main line, and a magnet for operating the same, controlled by the main line, but responsive only to prolonged interruptions in the flow of the current therein, as set forth.

JOHN BURRY. Witnesses:

M. LAWSON DYER, JOHN C. KERR. 

